Mine's a Whiskey

Sammanfattning: Alcoholic beverage marketing communication has been observed to be highly, and stereotypically gendered. However, there is a common misconception that men and women are fundamentally different in their alcoholic beverage preferences and behaviours, therefore questioning the appropriateness of segregating products based on gender. Not only has this binary approach to gender been proven to create significant health implications in society, but it also has an undisputed societal impact preventing equality between genders. This paper challenges marketing communications binary approach to gender and is therefore positioned within critical marketing studies. With the aforementioned problem in mind, the aim of this research is to explore the relationship between gender stereotyping within marketing communications of alcoholic beverages and consumers’alcohol consumption behaviour. With a purpose to enhance understanding on marketing communications ability to construct consumers gender identity. In order to achieve this, the study was conducted using an ethnographic-inspired qualitative research design, consisting of both semi-structured interviews and field observations, specifically on Swedish consumers. The findings from this inductive and exploratory study suggests that stereotypical alcoholic beverage marketing communications contribute to the construction of gender identities, subsequently influencing consumption behaviours. In maintaining normative drinking behaviours ascribed to gender identities, consumers promote gender inequalities created by marketing communications. The implications of such findings suggest marketing communications of alcoholic beverages should not be gendered.